Chapter 11: Never Let Me Go

Author's note: Okay, so I really really like this chapter, so I hope you do too! My game was acting up, so I lost the Cupid teens, and Holden. I didn't feel like I had to re-make the Cupid teens, as they were close to YA's anyway and I had no plotline for them. I did, however, remake Holden, but didn't get any special pictures of him. Also, pardon the shortage of the already crappy pictures because my game was running super slow today. Thanks! And, without further ado, I present to you: Chapter 11.

Wow, it’s so dark. I thought to myself. Is this what being dead feels like? It’s nice. I could enjoy this.

“Sorry, sweetheart, but you aren’t dead.” A voice echoed through the darkness. I turned around, trying to find the face. It took me a minute, but I found it.

“Ashley?” I stared, stunned at the face I saw.

Ashley, my best friend who died our junior year, was standing right in front of me. I’ve imagined this scenario a million times in my head. I have come up with a million different responses, a million different ways to react, but all of that disappeared and I stared, stunned, unable to speak.

“Hello, sweetie.” She smiled at me. Suddenly, a rush of emotions hit me-guilt, shame, sadness, relief-and I burst into tears.

“Sweetheart, you know how I feel about crying…” I heard another voice say, a male voice. I turned around to see a face that I had never thought I would see again.

There he was, his brown eyes glistening as he smiled, his curly hair perfectly set on top of his head. “Hey, Ariel.” He smirked, making my heart flutter a little bit.

“Gene…” I stared at him, wide-eyed and obviously a mess with tears smeared all over my cheeks. I remember how I feel about him, I said to myself, but I feel the same with Brandon. Is it wrong, to love two guys at the same time? Especially when they’re both… My thoughts trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence to myself.

“It’s okay, Ariel.” Gene sadly smiled. “I’ve always known how you felt about Brandon. It’s been obvious since day one. I knew I could never compete with that; I was just glad you gave me a chance.”

“Gene…” I cautiously stepped forward. “I’m so, so sorry…” I slowly reached where he was standing, and slipped into a hug.

“Ariel,” Ashley sighed, and I knew it was time to talk about the real reason for this little meeting. “We love you, we may not be around to show it, but we do. You never really know who’s there for you until you’re gone…” Ashley started to tear up, but she quickly wiped her tears away and tried her best to smile.

“Ashley, I’m so sorry…” I choked back tears. “I was such a horrible friend… I wish I could just fix everything.”

“You can.” A fourth voice had suddenly appeared, a familiar voice that I will never forget. A voice so smooth, you could cut a knife through it. “You can fix everything right now, by living.”

Brandon walked towards Gene and I, and Gene stepped away, letting our reunion be a tad more private.

I ran towards him. I ran faster than I ever have before in my life, thinking that if I didn’t run, everything would disappear. “Brandon, I--”

Everything started to fade as I was woken up.

“Ariel?” I heard a voice call out, a voice slightly familiar, yet I couldn’t put a finger on who it belonged to. The voice had a slight country accent, like he’d lived in Texas for a couple of years, but didn’t fully adopt the accent.

“Brandon?” I croaked out, blinking away the fuzziness in my eyes. I saw a familiar face, that’s when it all clicked. He had a slight Texas accent, because he did live in Texas for a couple of years.

“No, sorry hun.” He smiled his usual, sad smile. “Although, sometimes I wish I was, it’d save lots o’ people a lot o’ heartbreak…” He stared into the distance, dejectedly, making my heart break a little more than it already had for him.

“Brooklyn…” I felt a surge of rage rush through me, despite my earlier compassion for him. “Why weren’t you at the funeral? Your brother died and you didn’t even show up… You should have been there!” And, again, I was awash in tears; but this time, tears of rage, anger, and hurt, instead of the usual sadness and despair.

“I know, I know…” He sighed. “But I couldn’t bring myself ta’ go… That’s all my life seems to have now, are funerals. Ya’ know?”

“I know, Brooklyn.” I tried my best to comfort him, but I needed answers. “But you can’t run away from your problems. I haven’t heard from you since Ashley died. You never check in, and I only saw you briefly at Gene’s funeral. What’s going on?”

“I loved her…” Brooklyn’s voice cracked, and grief started to form on his face. “I loved her so much, and I never got to tell her. I wish I could just speak to her one last time, but I can’t…” Tears started to pour down his face, as he rocked back and forth, trying to get himself to calm down.

But I got to… Why shouldn’t he? His love for Ashley was something stronger than our friendship. He should have been the one to talk to her, not me.

“Mwommy…” I heard a female toddler’s voice say from the corner of the room, just now realizing Alex and Holden were in the room. “Why is uncwe Bwoowyn cwying?” Alex had a hard time with the L sound, apparently.

“He just misses his friend, baby…” I picked the two up and sat them in my lap. Alex looked so much like Brandon, I had a hard time not crying when I looked at her.

“Oh…” Alex looked at Brooklyn, trying her hardest to empathize. “I sowwy unwe Bwoowyn, I suwre you’ww see hewr again.” Brooklyn lifted his head up and stared at Alex, his eyes wide, and a smile began to form on his face.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” He mumbled, and his facial expression showed that he really believed her.

“I like your new haiwr, mommy.” Holden spoke up, his usual shy face plastered with interest as he looked at my hair.

“My new…. What.” I gasped, ordering Brooklyn to get me a mirror. “Ohmygodohmygodohmygod.”

“Uhm, yeah…” Brooklyn mumbled and then began to laugh. “The doctors said that it was caused by a mixture of chemicals in the pills you took. I think it looks great on you!” He was now full-blown laughing his ass off, tears in his eyes.

“Oh my god, it’s… so dark.” I exclaimed, the surprise obviously written all over my face. “Why didn’t you tell me!?”

“Well, we were kind of preoccupied!” He was kneeled over laughing, it was good to see him smile again. He’d ran out of town when Ashley died, moved to Appaloosa Plains and never said another word. Until now, that is. It was nice to have him back in my life, he was one of my best friends before… everything.

“You can’t! She just woke up!”

“I don’t care, let me through.”

“I am her lawyer, you’ll have to go through me first.”

“Brooklyn…” I nervously whispered, setting Alex and Holden down on the ground. “What’s going on?”

“Ariel, I’m so sorry.” Brooklyn sped out, his voice going 100 miles per hour. “It’s all over the news, I didn’t want to tell you just yet cause I’d thought they’d wait, but--”

“What’s going on!?” I screeched.

“Sure can do, sweetie.” There was slight ruffling of papers, then complete silence.

“Go ahead…”

“Ariel, I’m so, so sorry, but--” Brooklyn was cut off by the door slamming open, making the toddlers scream in shock.

“Ariel Spencer,” The man in a cop uniform directly looked at me. “You’re under arrest for the murder of Brandon Tenser.”